Heat-treating apparatus



APPARATUS.

OCT. 23,1919.

Patented Aug. 8, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I- H. A. LEWIS.

HEAT TREATING APPLICATION FILED w g/y HEA APPLI H. A. LEWIS.

ATING APPARATUS.

HLED OCT. 23. 1919.

Patented Aug. 8, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

HARRY A. LEWIS, 0F NORRISTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA.

HEAT-IRFATING APPARATUS.

Application filed October 23, 1919.

To all whom. it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY A. LEWIS, a citizen of the United States, and resident of N orristown, in the county of Montgomery and State of Pennsylvania, have inventeda new and useful Improvement in Heat-Treating Apparatus; and I do herebydeclare the fqllowing to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to heat-treating mechanism.

There are many instances where it is desirable to change from time to time the point of contact of the feed-mechanism with the material being fed, for instance, in the feeding of metal sheets through annealing furnace, it is desirable to change the point of contact between the supportand the sheet in its travel through the furnace, so as to prevent streaking or marking of the sheet which leaves a. blue or black temper-line thereon.

The object of my invention, therefore, is

to provide feed mechanism of this character in which the points of contact of the support with the material being fed is constantly changing, and which at most, has only a point contact at any time.

To these ends, the apparatus of my invention consists, generally stated, in a plurality of discs, means for rotating said discs, and means for raising and lowering said discs during rotation, whereby the support of the material is constantly being transferred from one set of discs to the other, as the material is fed forward by said discs; with the points of contact constantly chan ing.

In the accompanying drawings, *ig. l is a. plan view, with parts in section, of my improved feed-mechanism, as applied to an annealing furnace for annealing sheets; Fig. 2

is a transverse view, partly in elevation and partly in section; Fig. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional View of a portion of the furnace floor showing my improved feed mechanism with the sheet in an elevated position, and supported by one set of discs. Fig. 4 is a like view showing the-sheet in a lowered position, and just ready to be picked up by another set of discs; Fig. 5 is a like view showing a. sheet in a more advanced position, the position of the discs being the same as in Fig. 1 and Fig. 6 is a perspective "iew of a set of discs and the shaft supporting same.

While I have illustrated my invention in connection with a furnace for annealing Specification of Letters Patent.

.ways well known in the art, an

Patented Aug. 8, 1922. Serial No. 332,607.

sheets of metal, its application is not limited n any way to such art, but I wish to extend its scope to any use to which it may be found applicable.

The numeral 2 designates a suitable annealin furnace which may be heated in any sultab e manner, and which is provided with a. fioor or false bottom 3 having slots 4 formed therein, the slots being preferably staggered with relation to each other. Shafts 5 extend across th furnace below the floor 3 at suitable intervals, na led in outside bearings 6. Secured to each of the shafts 5 are a series of discs 7 which are mounted eccentrically on the shaft, the discs on any one shaft being preferably set alternately at about 180 displacement with reference to each other for the purpose more fully hereinafter set forth. This angular arrangement may, however, be varied as desired. The discs 7 register with the slots 4 and move up and down therein.

To the end of each shaft, in order to drive the shafts simultaneously, is secured a bevel- PlIllOIl 8, which engages a correspondin bevel-pinion 9 on a line shaft 10. The sha t 10 is driven by a stub-shaft 11, which carries a bevel-pinion l2 meshing with one of the pinions 9. A worm wheel 13 on the stubshaft 11 is driven by a worm 14 on the worm-shaftlfi. The furnace 2 may. be heated in any desired manner, as by the introduction of heated air or other ases in the I have indicated gas inlet and outlet ports 20 and 21 in the walls of the furnace, by way of diagrammatically showing such heating means. The mechanism above described ma be changed as desired to produce the resu ts as generally disclosed.

en my invention is em loyed in connection with the feeding of metal sheets through an annealing furnace, the sheets are delivered in any suitable way upon the discs 7, and, as said discs rotate in the direction of the arrows, Figs. 3, 4 and 5, the sheets will be advanced in the direction of the arrow, and at the same time it is so advanced, said sheet will be raised and lowered due to the eccentric arrangement of the discs. In Fig. 3, for instance, a sheet 16 is shown as supported at its highest position. As the sheet advances it is gradually lowered until it reaches the position indicated in Fig. 4 where it is just leaving the disc which sup: ported it in Fig. 3, and another set of discs is just coming around to support the sheet said shafts being jourandlliit it again to the position indicated in Fig. 5. In this manner the sheet is raised and lowered and at the same time advanced,

the point of contact of the discs with the sheets changing all the time, so that the metal of the discs is not in contact with the hot sheet for a sufiicient length of time to absorb any great amount of heat and leave streaks or marks on the sheet in the form of blue or black temper lines. Furthermore, by staggering the several rows of discs, the line of supporting contact with the sheet is broken u both longitudinally and transversely o the path of travel of the sheets.

,By raising and lowering the sheet as it travels through the furnace such motion tends to break u heat currents which are present in annea ing furnaces of this character, and provides for more uniform heating of the sheet.

By my invention, I overcome the difficulties heretofore present where rollers or skids are employed for conveying the sheet or other material through the furnace where the length of time of the contact of the sup" ort with the sheet is such as to cause streaking in the form of blue or black temperlines.

\Vhat I claim is:

1. In heat-treating apparatus the combination of a furnace and apparatus for advancing material through the said furnace, the said advancing apparatus comprising a plurality of work-supporting discs adapted to directly engage the work in alternate sets, and means for revolving the said discs, whereby the said work is constantly trans-- ferred from one set of discs to another.

2. In heat-treating apparatus the combi-' nation of a furnace, and apparatus for advancing material through the said furnace, the said advancing apparatus comprising a plurality of sets of work-supportin dlscs mounted eccentrically upon a lura ity of horizontal shafts, and means or rotating the said shafts to bring the said sets of discs alternately into work-supporting position.

3. In heat-treating apparatus the combination of a furnace, and apparatus for advancing material through the said furnace, the said advancing apparatus comprising a plurality of sets of work-supportin discs mounted eccentrically upon a plura ity of horizontal shafts, and means for rotating the said shafts to bring the said sets of discs alternately into work-supporting position.

4. In heat-treating apparatus the combination of a furnace and apparatus for advancing material through the said furnace, the said advancing apparatus comprising a plurality of sets of work-supporting members, each of said members being adapted to engage thework with a rolling contact and the said sets of members being adapted to alternately engage the work.

5. In heat-treating apparatus the combination of a furnace'and apparatus for advancing material through the said furnace,

"the said advancing apparatus comprising a plurality of eccentricall revoluble workengaging discs arrange in rows, certain discs in each of the said rows being angularly displaced with reference to the other discs ofthe same row.

6. In heat-treating apparatus the combination of a furnace, and apparatus for advancing material through the said furnace, the said advancing apparatus comprising a plurality of horizontal shafts, means for rotating the said shafts, and eccentrically mounted work-engaging discs carried by said shafts, certain discs on each shaft being angularly. displaced with reference to each other.

7. In heat-treating apparatus the combination of a furnace, and apparatus for advancing material through the said furnace, the said advancing apparatus comprisin a plurality of parallel horizontal sha 5, means for rotating the shafts, and a plurality of discs eccentrically -mounted on each of the said shafts and adapted to directly engage. and support the work, the discs on each shaft being set alternately at two different angles on their shaft, and the discs on each shaft being staggered with relation to the discs on the adjoining shafts.

8. In heat-treating apparatus the combi nation of a furnace having a false bottom, a plurality of rows of slots formed in the said false bottom, shafts mounted beneath the said rows of slots and transversely to the individual slots, means for rotating the said shafts, and discs eccentrically mounted on the said shafts and adapted when the said shafts rotate to project up through the said slots and to directly engage and support the work during a portion of their movement.

9. In heat-treating apparatus the combination of a furnace having a false bottom, a plurality of rows of slots formed in the said false bottom, shafts mounted beneath the said rows of slots and transversely to the individual slots, means for rotating the said shafts, and discs eccentrically mounted on the said shafts and adapted when the said shafts rotate to project up through the said slots and to directly engage and support the work during a portion of their movement, the discs on each shaft being set alternately at two different angles on their shaft, and the discs on each shaft being staggered with relation to the discs on the adjoining shafts.

In testimony whereof, I, the said HARRY A. LEWIS, have hereunto set my hand.

I HARRY A. LEWIS.

\Vitnesses:

AARON SWAR'rz, Jr.,

'ELrzABnrn R. FORREST. 

